DALLAS — President Donald Trump’s presence here at the Republican Party’s midterm convention was inescapable.

From his image adorning the laminated badges required to enter American Airlines Center to the rhinestones tracing his name on the T-shirts of more than a few attendees, reminders of the president were constant over the two-day spectacle dubbed “Trumpapalooza.”

And for the Republicans battling to protect the party’s House and Senate majorities, Trump remained an object of veneration, drawing plaudits and praise in nearly every speech.

“How great was President Trump last night?” North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson, who leads the House GOP campaign arm, asked the crowd Thursday. “He told us he will never stop fighting for you … because President Trump is on a rescue mission to save this country.”

The rare midterm convention had more in common with a campaign rally than a traditional party nominating convention. House and Senate candidates in key races around the nation were given a few minutes in the national spotlight to promote themselves — and, as was often the case, denigrate their Democratic opponent.

But for Republicans candidates, the party confab offered a chance to shift the discourse away from the sputtering U.S. economy, drum up excitement, raise some money and, perhaps, generate a few viral clips. It all unfolded against a backdrop of polls showing Trump’s job approval rating sinking to historic lows.

Juicing up turnout is part of the president’s mission, said Scott Singer, the former mayor of Boca Raton, Fla., who is running against Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz in a South Florida district that state Republicans redrew to favor their party.

“We have low-propensity voters who only come out for presidentials,” Singer said in an interview. Trump’s get-out-the-GOP-vote push “demonstrates the necessity for Americans to get involved and have their voice be heard.”

Indeed, over both days of the convention, Trump repeatedly urged supporters to turn out, telling them to pretend that he’s on the ballot in November. Some of his fiercest fans have taken his admonition to heart.

“The policies we voted for in 2024, and everything President Trump stands for, are on the ballot this year,” said Leticia Muñoz, the executive director of the New Mexico Republican Party. “We’ve got to protect that.”

Muñoz came to Dallas with 33 other GOP figures from the Land of Enchantment, which Trump lost by 6 points two years ago — the best result for a Republican presidential nominee since George W. Bush won the state in 2004. Among the New Mexico attendees was Larry Marker, who is a decided underdog in his bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján.

Marker has a ready response to people who say Republicans blindly worship Trump: “We have a leader. His name is Jesus Christ. But Donald Trump is the leader of the MAGA movement, and we support his policies. We’re proud of what he’s done.”

While Trump was the main draw for many of the party faithful, Nicole Moore said she was excited to hear from a new crop of Republicans in Congress, such as Reps. Brandon Gill of Texas and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida. Moore, who is from Dallas and works in the nonprofit sphere, wore an oversize foam hat she picked up at a Turning Point Action event last year.

“As far as Dallas, we’ve always been a huge supporter of Trump,” she said. “Those ties run deep.”

Republican strength in Dallas, though, has ebbed in recent decades. While the area was one of the first parts of Texas to shift toward the GOP in the previous century, it’s now more of a Democratic stronghold. Kamala Harris won Dallas County with 60% of the vote in 2024.

A post-Trump era?

This week’s gathering in downtown Dallas had a bit of a valedictory air, as Trump prepares for his final two years in the White House before passing the torch to, well, that remains to be seen.

Vice President JD Vance, who preceded Trump onstage Thursday night, echoed many of the president’s themes but presented them in a smoother, less off-the-cuff package.

With 2028 still two years away, few in the crowd were prepared to declare their allegiance to Vance or anyone else for that matter. But they agreed Trump would play a significant role in deciding who the next GOP standard-bearer was going to be.

“It’s going to be whoever President Trump says it’s going to be, and that’s a fact,” said Chris Ryan, a member of the Republican Party State Committee in what he described as the “Commiewealth of Marxachusetts.”

“I’ll tell you right now: If he wants Lassie the dog, then that’s who’s getting the nomination,” Ryan said.

Ryan said Trump was “movement oriented,” building a political following that other candidates have sought to emulate but have not been able to replicate. “I don’t think we’ll ever see somebody like that again,” he said.

But former Iowa state Rep. Joe Mitchell, a Republican running for an open battleground district, predicted that Trump will remain a dominant force in politics even when he’s no longer in the White House.

“We’re in a stronger position because of the president, and he’s not going away,” said Mitchell, who’s vying to succeed Senate hopeful Ashley Hinson in Iowa’s 2nd District.

Speaker Mike Johnson offered up a novel idea for Trump to remain on the political stage after his term ends.

Speaking onstage Thursday, the Louisiana Republican noted that John Quincy Adams was the only person in U.S. history to run for the House after serving as president.

“Maybe our current president would do that?” he quipped.

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